The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-09-30
DRESS AMI VICE.

There is nothing in sex as such, which
makes the female fond Of dress and dis
play. This is proved by the plain mother
bird and her brilliant mate; the gorgeous
peacock and eolerless hen; the shabby
splendors of the lion and touchdown
touteaSenabe Of his comrade. And that
this analogy holds good of the human
race, is apparent when we consider the
elaborate head gear of chieftains. or the
savage warriors bedizened with paint and
feathers, in contrast to the palmer outfit OF
the women by their sides.
Love of display does not, then, inhere
in sex, and will disappear in men and
women both in proportion to their refine
ment and good sense.
Woman's present attitude toward her
dress requires son farther calculation
than that it is necessary to the attraction
of men. For my part l believe that the
costly, hampering and grotesque dress of
woman-the worst bondage from a bar
barous past that still enthralls us-has a
twofold explanation.
First, that when all men were soldiers
and before money was known they made
women folks who staid at home in places
of comparative safety, the c~ustodians of
their wealth, hanging it upon them in
rings, necklaces, bracelets, and rich fabric.
Secondly, that the more women could be
hampered by their ~clothing-the trailing
skirts-that impeded locomotion, the half
barred head and lightly clad feet which ex-
posed them to the discomfort of snow and
rain and cold; the yelled face which pre-
vented them from seeing on being seen, the
more were they content to stay indoors,
and thus more especially did they become
exclusive property and utter dependents of
some fierce barbarians, who while heaping
and fragile beings as the chief treasures of
all he had massed.
\ Christian civilization has worn away
the most repulsive features of this bond
age. but every punctured ear, bandaged
waist and high-heeled shoe is a reminder
that manhood and w~omanheod are yet
underline cErse transmitted by their ignor-
ant and semi-barbarous ancestry. Men
have emerged further than we, because
they are more enlightened and more free
to seek their own development and COM
fort. They have always set the fashions,
because they nave always been ard are
to-day the ruling class. Man and woman
are King and Courtier in the worlds great
realm, and will be, until he, in his grow
her. Il will no longer make a law for you
since l perceive that God has made laws
for us both. Let us hereafter, like boy
and girl at school, study out, side by side,
the sacred laws of health and happiness
which He has written in His words and
works"
Meanwhile let that mother know who
tricks out her little girl in all the colors
of the rainbow; puts rings on her fingers
if not bells on her toes; binds her at an
early age into a corset; sets her to wallow-
ing in a long skirt and tits the vital
organs at the invalid-angle by high-heeled
shoes, that she has deliberately deformed
a body tina came fresh and airfrom Gods
hand, and manacled a soul that was made
in His image.
In speaking of the beautiful effect of
our present ~extravagant fashions of dress
the writer expresses the hope that the
ultimate aim of our reformers will be 'to
penal offence for any man to offer
such wages to women as will not
suffice respectfully to board and clothe
them. The style of dress among hired
girls is often pitiful to see. But it usually
puts to shame the mistress more than the
maid by reason of its tawdrier imitation of
tawdry fashions, set in the parlor which in
this democratic land, the kitchen will be
sure to follow. 1t also indicates that lack
of sympathy b~etweenthese two parts ofthe
house, which is a growing evil of our times.
The true Christian lady will make com
mon cause with her helpers, especially
counselling them as to what is for their
health and setting an example of mod
Grafton in personal expenditure"
After a strong protest against the
foolish and wicked dressing of women in
our so called best society, fashions against
which the best instincts of every woman
must rebel, an acknowledgement is made
of the great benefit derived from the better
scientific education of women. When all
women understand the laws governing
h~ealthful dressing and living, little work
will be left for the reformer.
In conclusion Miss Willard says:
Criticisms upon the habits of our brothers
come with poor grace from those whose own
sins against Gods laws written in their
members fill as many grave yards as do
the tobacco and alcohol habits. For my
selfI saw this early in my temperance
apostleship and discarded corsets and high
heeled shocs-two pets of my benighted
youth-adopted a more hygienic way of
living IN nearly all regards, and Am slowly
moving onward toward a better under
standing of Christianity applied to the
toilet, the table and all the daily conduct
of life. In this quest, beloved comrades of
the White Ribbon Army, let MS rest aceur-
ed that we shall surely have the consid-